The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-09-14

What Caused the Crush in the
Burned Theater at Exeter,
England.
The Way Of Escape Blocked
by the Ticket-Takers
Tin Box.
or Nearly 200 Persons in the Gallery
Over Half Lose Their
Lives.

There are still many things to be cleared
up yet before it can be understood here
how so many score OF people were incin-
Grated in the Royal Theater in Exeter.
Although In the reports from the scene OF
the calamity only one exit from the gal
lery Is mentioned, the architect OF the edi-
fee says that there were three-as he says,
broad and palatial." From the very latest
and most authentic reports which have
reach here il is clear that many of the
victims were suffocated, and not burned to
death as has been stated. The number Of
victims still remains uncertain. 1t may
never be known absolutely, but the loss Of
life is at least $50 and it may possibly
be as high as 200. Nine-tenths of those
who persisted were occupants of the
gallery, the others being from the pit and
the upper boxes. Not quite ve-sixths Of
the victims persisted in the staircase lead
ing from the gallery to the street, the only
means OF exit open from the gallery. Ii
was of stone with stone walls and had an
iron railing running along on one side. 1t
had four distinct turns and was In fact q
spiral descent. The result was that as peo-
pie madly rushed down they became hope
lessly jammed and crushed at each turn.
In their frantic attempts to free themselves
the limbs of some appear to have been torn
off, and in other cases fractured. At each
bend or angle was found pile of charred
human remains. A high post about half
way down the winding passage was another
fatal obstruction to the free passage Of the
terror stricken crowd. But for the windows
in the staircase very few, indeed, could
have escaped. One of these opened ,pon
a leaden roof and the other overlooked the
street. Several climbed out and leaped to
the ground, distance of fourteen feet, OF
were rescued by fire escapes. Out of l9t
persons known to have been in the gallery,
very few escaped by the door. Surprise
aud indignation are expressed that In 9
modern building there should have been
but one exit from the gallery and that oil
such an unsatisfactory character.
The victims were mostly working people
Daylight revealed an appalling sight. In
a shed at the back of the London Hotel the
dead bodies were laid in rows of about
twenty each awaiting Identification. Crowds
fiocked TO Guildhall as early as six O'Clock
for tickets to admit them to the yard to lool
for missing relatives and friends. While
the melancholy work of viewing the bodie!
went on the police were continually b. ing
ing in shapeless human remains. By de
grees the shed floors of adjoining stables
were filled with the mutilated trunks, anc
the limbs discovered "a the work OF search
proceeded were laid out on straw in thu
open yard.
In only a very few cases can the bodies
be identified by their countenances. II
one corner Of the yard is a heap Of calcineC
bodies and burnt rags. The scenes in thu
Enclosure were most narrowing. Womel
tainted as they recognized by som'
familiar token their lost ones, and thei
lamentations were heartrending. Among
the last Of the bodies brought in was tina
of father. beneath whom was found hi
child, only few weeks old. The position
of the arms showed that the poor man wa
doing his best to save the infant when h'
fell. The bodies of women are in SOM
cases only to be distinguished by thei
wedding rings. AS the search proceeded
it became only too evident that the loss o
life was not confined TO the gallery occu
pants. Lives were lost in the pit, where
terrible crush took place, and in the up
per circle. Many charred bodies were re
covered from the gallery saloon and secon'
circle saloon. The victims had apparently
become blocked in rushing for the bal
comics.
The charred remains Of twenty per
sons were discovered in one heap.
mother, father, and child were foun
clasped in one embrace. Several Who'll
families numbering from two to five los
their lives.
The number of persons severely injuret
is sixty, and 1T is feared that the death lis
will reach 140.